December 16

St. Valentine

When they lived:

St. Valentine is believed to have lived during the late 3rd century AD, around 260-269 AD.

Where they lived:

St. Valentine lived in Rome, Italy, during the tumultuous period of the Roman Empire.

Notable world events during the time of their life:

Persecutions of Christians: One of the most significant events during St. Valentine’s time was the widespread persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. Emperor Decius and later Emperor Valerian issued edicts against Christians, resulting in the martyrdom of many early Christians, including St. Valentine.
Roman Empire in Crisis: The Roman Empire was in a state of decline during this era, marked by political instability, economic troubles, and military challenges from various fronts. These challenges contributed to the overall atmosphere of uncertainty in which St. Valentine lived.
Galen’s Medical Contributions: During St. Valentine’s time, the Greek physician Galen was making substantial contributions to the field of medicine. His work on anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology would continue to influence medical practices for centuries.
Aurelian Walls Construction: In Rome, the construction of the Aurelian Walls, a massive defensive fortification, began during the reign of Emperor Aurelian (c. 271-275 AD). These walls were built to protect the city from external threats and invasions, reflecting the turbulent times in which St. Valentine lived.
Crisis of the Third Century: This period saw a series of short-lived and often ineffective emperors, leading to civil wars and fragmentation within the Roman Empire. This instability had profound implications for the lives of people like St. Valentine.
Zenobia’s Rebellion: Queen Zenobia of Palmyra rebelled against Roman authority during St. Valentine’s era, leading her forces to capture several Roman provinces in the East before being eventually defeated by Emperor Aurelian.

Patronage:

St. Valentine is the patron saint of lovers, beekeepers, and epileptics. His association with lovers stems from the legend that he performed marriages for Christian couples when such unions were forbidden, leading to the tradition of sending love notes, known as valentines, on February 14th, his feast day. Beekeepers may have adopted him as their patron due to the belief that his intercession protected their hives. His patronage of epileptics may relate to the historical belief that he could heal the condition through his prayers.

Biography

Valentine’s day is one of the most loved ‘unofficial holidays’ mainly because of what we celebrate on this day; love. You have probably done some basic research to understand the origins of this beautiful day and you came across the Catholic saint, St. Valentine. Now buckle up and get to know more about this saint of love.

The Beginning

San Valentino widely known as St. Valentine was born in 175 AD in Terniin Italy. He started off as an Italian doctor and later he became a priest. As a 3rd Century Roman priest and martyr, he lived during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius the Goth.

In Rome, Claudius was persecuting Christians. On the other hand, St.Valentine was playing a crucial role in helping those Christians. He was also actively involved in performing marriage ceremonies between youngChristian couples that were in love. Bear in mind, at this point, theRoman law forbade young people from getting married.

As a result of these roles, St. Valentine was arrested and imprisoned under threat. The emperor tried to convert St. Valentine but the saint of love did not give his religion up. Claudius sent Valentine away to prison. While in prison, Valentine preached day in and day out.

Miracles

Asterius was the guard at the prison where Valentine was. Asterius’ daughter was blind, so he asked Valentine to hear her confession. After listening to the confession, Valentine put his hands over the blind girl’s eyes and chanted, “Lord Jesus Christ, enlighten your handmaid because You are God, the True Light.” After that, the girl regained her sight!

After the miracle, the guard was thrilled. He and most of his family members converted to Christianity. Who wouldn’t? Someone close to themhad experienced such a life-changing Christian encounter. Sadly, EmperorClaudius got to know about this conversion and order that they all get killed.

Death

Before his death, Valentine sent the girl a loving note which he signed,“from Your Valentine”. This marked the birth of the tradition we enjoy today. The tradition of sending valentine’s cards.

Valentine was stoned and beaten with clubs. On the 14th of February, he was beheaded. This was around 269 AD. He was buried at a Christian cemetery on the Via Flaminian and years later, a chapel was built on top of his remains.

On the same day, Valentine was killed, the bishop of Terni also calledValentine was imprisoned and beheaded by Placidus (the prefect of Placidus). This happened about 60 miles outside of Rome. There is a belief that these two incidences aren’t just coincidences. Some people believe that St. Valentine existed in two places at once. These could also have been two people who had the same name and died in an almost similar manner. What do you think?

Love for Love

St. Valentine is the patron saint of all things to do with love this is because of the love he had for love when he was alive. He is the patron saint of happy marriages, betrothed couples, lovers, young people. His involvement in marriage ceremonies for couples is the main reason why he is a patron saint for this important part of our lives.

St. Valentine is commemorated in the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran churches. The Catholic church recognizes him as a saint and lists him as such on the 14th of February entry in the Roman Martyrology. However, in 1969, the Catholic church removed his name from the general Roman calendar.

5 Interesting Facts About St. Valentine

His skull is on display in Rome and it is crowned with flowers.
In 1836, the Carmelite priest John Spratt received a gift from Pope
Gregory XVI. The gift was a small vessel tinged with St.
Valentine’s blood.
He is also a patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy.
In most artistic pieces, St. Valentine is often accompanied by roses
and birds.
Valentine’s day feast was established in 496 AD by Pope Gelasius

Prayer to St. Valentine

Dear Saint and glorious martyr, Teach us to love unselfishly and to find great joy in giving. Enable all true lovers to bring out the best in each other. Let them love each other in God and in God in each other. Amen